as in plump
having an excess of body fat
in America, Santa Claus is portrayed as a jolly but tubby older gentleman
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tubby
That Pete Hegseth is at the Pentagon instead of tubby Lloyd Austin.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
It is sold in a curious short and tubby bottle with an original label with an old man with wispy hair and a long beard.
—Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The structure is like a planetary system with its multiple characters and fascinating satellites: his best friend Ruprecht, a tubby genius; Lori, his unrequited love; Carl the psychopath; Howard the Coward; Father Green a.k.a.
—Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
Colin Farrell’s Penguin Is Different From The Comics The original Batman villains were mostly made up of gangsters, and the Penguin first appeared in the early 40’s as a tubby man in a tuxedo and monocle, wielding a variety of gadgets inside his iconic umbrella.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Heavy, ample, plump, tubby—these might as well be curse words.
—TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
This gives it the slight grace of a drawer without sacrificing the functionality of a big tubby bin.
—Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2023
After a long day of tail wagging, tubby rubbing, and shoe chewing, your dog deserves a comfortable place to rest.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023
The 65-minute family show sees A.A. Milne‘s tubby little cubby brought to life along with his furry friends.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
It is sold in a curious short and tubby bottle with an original label with an old man with wispy hair and a long beard.
—Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The structure is like a planetary system with its multiple characters and fascinating satellites: his best friend Ruprecht, a tubby genius; Lori, his unrequited love; Carl the psychopath; Howard the Coward; Father Green a.k.a.
—Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
Colin Farrell’s Penguin Is Different From The Comics The original Batman villains were mostly made up of gangsters, and the Penguin first appeared in the early 40’s as a tubby man in a tuxedo and monocle, wielding a variety of gadgets inside his iconic umbrella.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Heavy, ample, plump, tubby—these might as well be curse words.
—TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
This gives it the slight grace of a drawer without sacrificing the functionality of a big tubby bin.
—Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2023
After a long day of tail wagging, tubby rubbing, and shoe chewing, your dog deserves a comfortable place to rest.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023
The 65-minute family show sees A.A. Milne‘s tubby little cubby brought to life along with his furry friends.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tubby
Adjective
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An InStyle editor's mom swears by the Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask for plump, firm, even skin.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
22 Feb. 2026
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Forget about fashionable foodie trends, the cuisine here remains a faithful homage to the master, perfectly reproducing his signature dishes like plump pike quenelle dumplings in a rich creamy Nantua sauce, succulent beef Rossini topped with foie gras or a tasty black truffle soup.—
John Brunton,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Using tongs, hold the steak on its side in the center of the skillet and cook the fat cap, undisturbed, until crisp and some of the fat has rendered, 1–2 minutes.—
Eric Wareheim,
Saveur,
26 Feb. 2026
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One of her favorite specimens was the rain beetle, a fuzzy scarab-like insect that can't feed as an adult, relying solely on fat stores from its larval stages.—
Christine Mai-Duc,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dishant, my Indian hair stylist, expertly maneuvered his round brush through my heavy locks, coiffing them to perfection.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
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The popular shoe of choice on the front row was a round-toe chunky knee-high boot worn by Iris Law and several others.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tubby. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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